As of last week, former FBI agent Robert Levinson is now the longest-held American hostage in history. His family and the U.S. government hope that the new Iranian president could help secure Levinson\’s release.

Every country has a finance ministry, but only
the U.S. has one with a unit dedicated to
combating illicit finance linked to terrorists
and rogue nation-states developing or
threatening to use weapons of mass destruction.
Its goal is to choke off their money supply
until their exploits shrivel up and cease.
Iran is the unit\’s main focus at this time.

When Manssor Arbabsiar, a 56-year-old
naturalized
U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with
plotting to
assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the U.S. in
Washington, another alleged high-profile
component
to the plot escaped the attention of many.

Tens of thousands of security and military
personnel are patrolling Olympic venues, but in
the shadows, a large group of international
security and intelligence foot soldiers are
roaming the streets and back alleys with
instructions — to stop a terror strike before
it starts.

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
tells WTOP she isn\’t surprised the Iraq talks
weren\’t wholly successful, and looks to
upcoming
negotiations in Moscow next month to keep the
precarious situation from escalating.